DairyFarmersWife's Journal, 24 April 2013

Son of a pine cone. I made a tactical error last night. Usually Tuesdays we finish chores early so hubby can go to bowling so the kids and I have a night to get things done. It was gorgous out so I thought we would get some yardwork done then I would workout while the 9 yr old entertained little man. Didn't happen. I miscalculated the number of pine cones in our yard. 9 yr old is a money grubber. She will do anything if you pay her enough. I was getting one of the back gardens turned and pulling weeds so I told her I would pay her a penny for every pine cone she picked up. I figured it would be like an easter egg hunt for her and I wouldn't run the dumb things over with the lawn mower in a couple weeks.

Well.. she picked up pine cones from 6pm until she couldn't see the ground and I finally yelled at her to get her butt in the house already. I think it was around 8:30. I now owe the child $12. Seriously?!?! What do we have mutant pine cone making pine trees? Hubby was amazed by the giant pine cone hill where she tossed them off the back hill so he investigated and informed me she missed about 20 pine cones. Or there are 20 new pine cones... and the darn things will keep throwing off more cones!

So... 9 yr old got a workout. I got a workout chasing a cranky lil man who thinks leaves are a tasty treat. I gardened for 20 minutes until lil man decided rocks looked like a tasty treat. That's when I decided it was time to go in and feed lil man before he tried eating anything else. For the rest of the night we chased each other though the house screaming at the top of our lungs while we watched the 9 yr old hunt for pine cones.

I got the dump trailer together without cursing. I ate way more than I should have. I didn't have any soda even though I really really want a freakin soda! And I discovered that I've somehow broken the 9 yr old. You discover youve done something horribly wrong when you can lick the last chicken tender and your child still wants it.. steals it.. and eats it. Seriously? Didn't licking something make it yours at one time? She just shrugged and told me I was her mom so it was ok. That's so wrong.....

I. Hate. Pine cones. They are all over my yard as well... how big is your yard?? Or maybe you do have mutant trees, or really evil squirrels. :) I'm glad the dump trailer came together for you. My brother used to lick food to claim it as his! ...and it stayed his. :D Also congrats to not giving into the soda craving!

That's a lot of pine cones!! My daughter has done that to my mom with sticks. My mom told her that she'd give her a nickel for every stick she picked up and my mom ended up owing her like $20. I think at some point she was breaking the big ones to make them 2 sticks. What's worse than licking the chicken strip and your daughter eating it, is that this morning my dog got his paws up on the counter and swiped a couple of pieces of lunch meat off of the wrap I was in the progress of making, I didn't have any more flat bread, so I just added more meat and I'm hoping he didn't get slobber on the flat bread and eating it anyway. I know gross, but I was in a hurry and didn't have much else to make.

Durn pine cones! We have a huge pecan tree and have tons to pick up in the fall. They become missiles when hit with a lawnmower or raked up and burned with leaves! This year I'll have to crack them and freeze them because they are healthy and FREE :) Mars, I couldn't have done that!! However my dog is a huge slobbering bloodhound. We affectionatley refer to him slobbering on us as being slimed, lol.

OMG...that chicken tender was SSOOOOO yours !! eeeuuwww...
now on the pine cones...wow...need to rethink that tactic for the next time who woulda guessed she'd find that many AND she'd stick with it--most kids wouldn't have because it's actually work... but now you really did profit just not in the pocket book.
MARS2KIDS....geez !

Ok, I LOL'd at EVERYTHING... the pine cones, calories on leaves, dog slobber... it's all HILARIOUS... and I needed a laugh. THANKS ALL! Skirch: our Dogga doesn't slime us, thankfully. You are a brave soldier handling that! The money to kids thing... I'm gonna have to try that with the Kraken. Teen already doesn't value money. Hers is an elusive currency. For now, we just make her do things regardless!

I would think a leave would have the same nutritional content as lettuce. Doesn't it? I tried to google it and didn't get much. I did find out there was a wine called oak leaf though. The yard is probably about 10 acres... it has about 5 pine trees on it though. I would have thought there was only 2 or 3 dollars worth but 12? OMG! I'm surprised she didn't give up too but I think she got to $5 in the first hour so that was probably my downfall. And the chicken tender... Pfft. The kids will wrestle food from the dogs. Last night little man ripped open a box of honey nut cheerios and before the dogs and I could get them all picked up I think he was double fisting the things to make sure he got his share. The cow lick could work though.. they leave lil specs of silage on the things they lick. Then again.. that's just grass and corn. That might not work either.

LOL - we did something similar once when we were out in the country target practicing; offered the kids a nickel for every spent shell they retrieved. I called it a redneck easter egg hunt. I think they went to the neighbors yards because they had shells we didn't even fire!

Yay for the clean yard, Exercise from chasing little man and extra (Chicken) calories not eaten. My little one is going to kill me too. Bought door handle covers to maybe try keeping him contained to one room. Or at least prevent his sneaky escapes outside. He figured out how to unlock doors like 3 days after he figured out how to open them. His favorite thing to do is bathe himself in the bathroom sinks. lol!